


The Cave

by MyNemWynx



Category: TMNT (2007), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt Michelangelo (TMNT), Hurt Raphael, Hurt Raphael (TMNT), Hurt/Comfort, Michelangelo (TMNT)-centric, Minor Original Character(s), No Romance, Older Sibling Raphael (TMNT), One Shot, Original Character Death(s), Protective Raphael (TMNT), Protective Siblings, Raphael (TMNT)-centric, Sibling Bonding, Worried Raphael (TMNT)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 18:08:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29372847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyNemWynx/pseuds/MyNemWynx
Summary: As Mikey and Raph find shelter in a weird cave after a hefty battle, the younger turtle is forced to contemplate decisions for his unconscious brother. As questions cloud his mind, fears blossom in the uncertainty of Raphael's condition. As they stay in this mysterious cave, Mikey realizes how much he valued their brotherhood. And how much he hated being alone. The cave, was really something... special.NO T-CEST, only brotherly love. Verse 2007, but it could pretty much work with any verse. TW: hinted minor (original) character death, and mention of cancer. Slightly graphic with depictions of gore. (No intestines or anything, but there's blood so it's worth noting.)
Relationships: Donatello & Leonardo & Michelangelo & Raphael (TMNT), Michelangelo & Raphael (TMNT)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	The Cave

**Author's Note:**

> I mentioned this in the summary but I'll mention it again.
> 
> Trigger Warning: hinted minor original character death and mention of cancer. Also slightly graphic depictions of gore (no intestines or anything but there's blood so it's worth noting). Oyea and mildly strong language.
> 
> Anyway that's all... Enjoy!

"Geez..." Mikey scratched his head, the other arm clenched around his brother's shell, "What do we do now?"

It was pouring outside. The rain striking with so much force that it blurred the scenery. 

Raphael narrowed his eyes at his younger brother, "Don and Leo are fine, Mike. We just need to meet up."

"Yeah, duh... Fuck them, it's you I'm worried about." Mikey claimed, matter of factly. He glanced down at Raph's condition. A very visible bullet wound took its place in Raph's thigh. Above it was a visibly amateur attempt of a tourniquet. Quickly scavenged and pulled together by left over wrappings for their weapons. Either way, it gets the job done. 

Other cuts of various sizes littered itself onto different parts of his body. But the most notable one would probably be the one by his left shoulder. It was not only deep, but it took place from his collar bone to beside his shoulder blades. 

Despite the seriousness of the injury, Mikey was glad that's all it was, a cut. His stupid ass was too aloof to even notice a foot right beside him. And Raph being Raph, he took the hit for him. 

Of course... Mikey furrowed his brow bones. Although he doesn't show it, he always hated when one of them gets hurt. But it was worse this time, knowing that he could've changed that outcome. 

Still, none of that could compare to the one on his plastron. It felt as if stones were carelessly dropped down onto Mikey's stomach. Just thinking about the sight makes the bile in his throat rise. 

Fighting against the swell of his heart, he snuck a glance down at Raph's torso. Mikey could barely hold his breakfast, the taste of morning's pizza already tainting his tongue. His shell was shattered, bleeding from the cracks. What's worse was that it wasn't just drips, it was flowing. 

How did this happen? Oh yeah... The gun...

Mikey lets out a shaky sigh. Despite everything, Raph was lucky. Lucky enough for the bullet to not hit turtle, at least. It might be an obvious thought, but Mikey never considered his plastron to just... shatter. It was easy to forget that even shells have their weak points. Especially Raph's, with all the cracks and cuts he's obtained. But he never really saw it... bleed, like that.

"I know I'm handsome, Mikey. But you don't need to stare at me like that. " Raph must've noticed him stiffen up at his injury. The younger turtle shook his head, forcing in a chuckle. But it still couldn't shake the tremor in his voice. 

A steady, heavy hand planted itself onto Mikey's head, " It looks worse than it is, doof. Calm down." 

Mikey let out another shaky sigh, lowering his head. He squeezes his eye shut, hoping to regain some sort of composure. 

The hand made its way to his cheek. Mikey gulped, forcing his eyes open to look at him, "Seriously, Mikey... I'm fine. " 

The older turtle gave a few gentle pats on his cheek, before reclining back on the concrete with a tired sigh. He blankets his eyes with an uninjured arm, making sure there was no blood on it. 

"Where are we?" Raphael muttered, retaining his position. Mikey craned his neck around, trying to identify any sort of familiarity. Some sort of bearing to pinpoint where they have retreated to. 

They seem to be in a cave. Clearly interfered by humans, but still a cave. The floor was paved with concrete, but everything else was pretty much all natural. The inner linings of the walls were moist, perfect for turtles. 

"A cave... I think?" Mikey looks around once more, "it looks pretty safe." It was pretty dim, it would be hard to help Raph without some sort of light. 

Mikey placed a hand on Raph's arm, trying to reassure him. To be honest, it's quite arguable on who exactly he was trying to reassure. He squeezed his arm lightly, it helped him keep his own sanity anyway. 

Mikey stood up. The pitter patter of his footsteps on the wet ground echoing in the void. Raph lifted his arm enough to allow himself to peek at whatever Mikey was doing. 

He pats at the porous walls, feelings his way through the space. He keeps patting until he felt something smoother and rectangular. Finally! This might be a light switch! 

He navigates his fingers over the rectangle. And sure enough, he was right. He pushes at the switch. The light above him flickered a bit, before finally remaining on. It wasn't the brightest. But it was enough to work on Raph. 

"Mikey, that's probably the best idea you've ever had." Raph muttered, nonchalantly. His voice gruff and vibrating through his shell.

Of course! This cave was obviously tampered with. It's kind of necessary for them to add a light switch somewhere. And maybe even... supplies!

"Hang on Raph, Imma go loot some stuff." He called out, to which he received a grunt in return. With that, he went ahead and tried to look for any helpful items. 

As he navigates the cave, he can't help but feel a chill run down his spine. The walls were so... daunting? There's just something about the atmosphere that... didn't feel normal.

He scans around the cave. It was pretty plain and hollow to be honest. Lights fixed at the top, the floor was concrete, some random shelves hanging about on the walls... nothing really worth noting. 

The cave wasn't deep either. It was one linear path. It only took about 15 or so more steps before he reached the end of the cave. There, he found a plain writing desk. A framed picture of two people sitting towards the end of it. The desk was rather dirty, with stains scattering its surface. Other than that, there wasn't anything useful. 

Although... there is something below the desk...

Sure enough he found a lonely crate, beside it was some crackers and an unfinished water bottle. Sorry to whoever owns this place, they're gonna have to steal that. 

He pried open the top, revealing a jackpot inside. A pack of unopened water bottles lay inside, along with some duct tape and unused clothes. 

This is perfect! Not really medical supplies but it's enough to treat Raph. 

He placed the water bottle and crackers inside, and began to carry the crate back to his brother. 

"Dude! Good news, I found some-" Mikey glanced down at the turtle, he lied still. Maybe a little _too_ still...

"...Raph?" Mikey kneeled down beside him, a hand hovering over the turtle. His heart hitting against his ribcage like it was going mad.

Raphael lie still for a moment, before lightly gasping back to consciousness, "Yeah, Yeah Mikey... I'm awake. "

"Fuck Raph, don't do that!" The younger turtle whined, "You gotta stay awake, ya bonehead!"

"Cut me some slack, man. 'M tired." he said, moving his arm to the side. It was then that Mikey noticed the weird bulge around Raph's injured arm. Was it dislocated? It did look misshapen. Great! Another thing he needed to fix.

Laying out the duct tape, water and clothes beside his brother, Mikey knelt down to observe. Damnit. He doesn't remember a single thing about what Donnie told him. 

Okay, okay. So he just needs to stay calm. Fuck, wait- Does he do bullet wound first? Or plastron first? Or should he give Raph water first? 

Wait, hold on. Was he supposed to wash the wound first or put pressure on it? Both?? How does that work?

"Mike... bullet wound." Raph muttered, his voice gruff and hoarse. That wasn't a good sign. 

"Uhh..." He grabbed a water bottle, and a t-shirt on the other hand, hovering it over the leg. 

Raph sighed defeatedly, "Is it still bleeding?" 

"Uh, umm..." Mikey glanced back down. The area is definitely bloodied, but it doesn't appear to be bleeding as much as it used to, "a little..?" 

"Put pressure on it, then wash it after." Right. Raph knows what to do. He's got experience. He had to patch himself up after patrols as the Nightwatcher, of course. So he's an expert! Well, probably not as much as Don, but still _something_. 

So he did as he was told, pushing down on the wound with the t-shirt. To which Raphael responded by tensing up, inhaling a sharp, hissing breath. Mikey immediately lets up. 

"It's fine, just keep doing that." So he did, pushing the cloth back down. Raphael did his best to stifle his whimper, leaving him grunting instead.Mike definitely noticed. 

Okay, he just needed to take one thing at a time. Michelangelo focused his attention on just making sure the bleeding stops. Funny, his current pose reminded him of the weird CPR training tapes Donnie made him watch. Which might've been wise to actually pay attention to. 

"Say..." Raph said through gritted teeth, "wonder why there's a random cave in the middle of nowhere?" It was obvious he was tryna make conversation, probably to keep his head in check. Which he appreciated. 

"Uhh... dunno, dude must be Batman." The older turtle chuckled. It must've hurt pretty bad, since he stopped abruptly. 

Seemed the bleeding stopped. It was probably time to wash it. And he did with as much delicacy as he could. Despite it being just... _open_. It was difficult to know what to clean. Well all of it, probably? But it was still tricky to navigate. Raph was patient enough to let Mikey do whatever he needed to do, but it was obvious he was in hell of a lot of pain. 

Shit! He forgot to even take note of the kind of bullet wound! Well since there's no blood under him, there's probably no exit hole. So the bullet might still be in there. Well, he's pretty much just taping things up, so Donnie could handle that junk later. 

Fuck, right.

"Say Raph?" Mikey asks, examining the wound again. 

Raphael whimpers, "ye-ah?" 

"Y'said we were gonna meet up with Leo and Don?" 

He was silent for a moment, before letting out a breath, "Yeah... uhh... we were gonna... meet up at the... the uhh... the barn." 

Right. Okay... it wasn't that far. Donnie could fix whatever bullshit doctor stuff he did on Raph. Only thing he needs to worry about now was getting Raph stable enough to actually walk. Or at least stay awake. He figured he could probably just go to the barn and lead the others back to Raph. 

God, he was so grateful he didn't need to do stitches. Well, he does, but he can't. Not without the equipment anyway. Donnie was gonna have to handle that part.

He placed a new piece of cloth over the wound, then proceeded to duct tape it secure. Pulling just enough to put constant pressure on it. 

He did the same to the cut on his shoulder. And everything went by pretty smoothly. 

_Too_ smoothly... Raph didn't even wince... or _move_. 

"Raph?" 

No answer.

"Raph?! Dude, wake up!" He shook the older turtle, determined to get at least a whimper from him. Instead, Raph just lie there, like a complete rag doll. 

Fuck! Oh fuck! 

"Raph!? Raph! Raph, this isn't fucking funny! " Shit! Shit! He's not waking up, "Raphael!"

Nothing.

He continues to shake him, awaiting for some sort of annoyed response, irritated glare, a slap, or something! 

Nothing. Not even a grunt. 

No, no! No, okay! He needs to stay calm, and actually use some of his brain cells for once. Check his pulse, or something! 

The orange-banded turtle pats his brother over, scanning through any visible sign of life. If he'd had kept his cool earlier, he would've noticed the rise and fall of Raphael's torso, indicating he was still... _breathing_. 

Breathing. 

Ok, he's still there. Albeit, barely. The rise and fall of his chest is definitely slow. Slower than it should be. In fact, it looked kind of... restricted? 

Shit, it's his plastron isn't it? Mikey was hoping that he would avoid that one. But he supposes he can't now. 

The younger turtle scans over his brother's injury. Yep, definitely cracked. Looks like the hookamajig plates Donnie keeps mentioning about with earthquakes. One piece was definitely under the other. That made Mikey, _really_ nervous. 

It's buried under the other piece, meaning it must be poking Raph's insides. Shit, was it poking his lungs? The area looks too delicate for him to touch, blood seeping into the crevices. It was coating _everything_ , making it hard to understand what exactly was going on. 

He doesn't know what to do. This is so new to him! The cuts and bullet wounds were hard but they were familiar. This, this was _not_ familiar. He doubts even Donnie saw this coming. He was not at all the turtle who should be dealing with this. But he has to. 

Okay, okay... so, clean it first? At least clean the blood off, so he could get a better view. 

God, there's so much blood. 

He attempts to wipe at it with a new piece of clothing. Gently patting it onto the area, hoping it won't cause it to accidentally get worse. He realized later that he was trembling the whole time.

Mikey observes the newly cleaned area. Guess he was right, a piece was under the other. He can't help but ponder how that was even possible. But however it happened, it must've brought Raph a great deal of pain. 

He contemplated on whether or not he should... manipulate it? After all, plastrons were essentially turtle bone, so moving anything must hurt right now. Plus he has no idea what he's doing. But doing so might mean Raph's survival. 

Man, he really doesn't know what to do. He knows jack _shit_ about doctor stuff. Mikey desperately tried to recall whatever it was Donnie said about any med stuff. 

Nadda, squat. _He can't risk it._

Should he... test it out? He could probably press on it, lightly of course, to see if it's actually affecting his breathing? 

It was a terrible idea. Even Mikey himself thought it was absolutely idiotic. But what else could he do? His brother was flat out unconscious.

The younger turtle lowers a shaky hand towards the plate. God, now was not the time to be shaky. He lightly pressed at the plastron, adding just the tiniest bit of pressure on the crack. Mikey tenses, as slushes of red pool at the edges. Unprepared for the sight of more blood. 

Raph's breathing starts to hitch, to which Mikey immediately retracts his hand. He studied his breathing, as it slowly goes back to normal. Well, as normal as he could get at this state. It was still restricted, and slow.

Fuck! Should he have touched it? Should he just leave it alone? What the fuck did Donnie say he should do in this situation? Should he run to the barn, hoping to lead the rest back here in time? Or should he stay until Raph was awake? God! He wished Leo was here, he would've known what to do. Donnie would've know how to treat Raph. He wishes Raph was well enough to boss him around. He doesn't know what to do!

Fuck it! 

He grabs the tape. Fuck, this was stupid. He reaches forward to his brother's injury, picking at the edge of one of the cracks. He used as little pressure as he could, to forcefully bring the lower plate up to the surface. 

Crack—

The older turtle took a sharp and deep breath. Mikey, jumped back by the sound. He initially thought Raph was jolted back to consciousness. Still, his brother lie as motionless as he was before. 

He was surprised to how little it took to force it back to alignment. Mikey took a moment to study his breathing once more. Raph was now taking bigger and more even breaths, leaving his younger brother sulking to the concrete in pure relief.

All the emotions in the world flooded into his system, and he doesn't know how to deal with it. The turtle curled up subconsciously, his knees pressed against his plastron, burying his head into his folded arms. 

For a second, he felt like a child. Like a literal _child_. He realized now, how much he longed for someone to come pick him up and be held in their arms.

_That_ , was the dumbest thing he had ever done. Mikey lets out a shaky breath. He can't believe it actually worked. 

Michelangelo was suddenly so aware of how much he was actually shaking. 

Stop... stop it. He needed to stay calm..

Wearily, he sneaks a glance at Raph's figure. 

Breathing... as he should. 

It would probably be best to at least, tape him up. 

Grabbing the tape, Mikey tears a few strips with his teeth. Placing them along the lines of the cracks, essentially taping it shut. He tears a few more and goes over the whole are with horizontal strips, just to secure it. 

It takes a while for him to get his bearings on things. Hesitantly inching away from Raphael's side, as if doing so might make his whole form collapse. 

Mikey reached into the crate beside him, attempting to find something useful. 

Huh? Right underneath the pack of bottled water was a note.

It was yellowed with age, with the ends slightly creased. It was safely tucked under all of those supplies. It was a miracle how it stayed in tact.

The turtle focused his attention on thetext. It was written in small, semi-cursive writing. Neat and spaced so far apart. He reads.

_ Bentley, _

_ It's probably stupid, huh? Writing you this letter. You chose to take the hit of my bills, and now look at you. You can't even pay for your chemo.  _

_ Why did you have to do that? Did you know there was no light in that tunnel, or did you just give up?  _

_ Whatever it was. Was it wrong of me to think you were selfish for doing that? All this time I've been angry at you, for choosing that path. All this time, I was angry that you denied me another chance with you.  _

_ I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I grew distant. I'm sorry I was so narrow minded, only focusing on whatever was happening to me. My mortgage, my job, my student loans, my taxes. Not once did I stop to think of you. Much less, spend time with you.  _

_ I wondered if it would've made a difference, if I never left the town at all. Would we still be as close as we were, back when we still used to hang out in that cave?  _

_ I remembered, mom lecturing us about the dangers of that cave. But we would camp there anyways. It didn't matter how gross it was, how cold or hard the ground was. Not even the mosquitos could keep us away from there! The cave always had a sense of mystery and security at the same time. I figured that the reason why we stayed there was because it was our safe space. A place made for us. It never worked when I was without you, we needed to be together to sense its magic. Suffice it to say, the cave always felt... special. _

_ I wondered if I could capture the same experience now that we are older. Granted, I pretty much rendered it impossible considering your condition. But I would've been willing to at least try.And now that you're... leaving. I would never get a chance to. I'll miss you... I still miss you. I hope wherever you're going, it would feel like the cave. _

_ Your brother, _

_ Thomas _

Fuck... 

God, he needed to think about that. 

Bentley gave himself up, didn't he? For all he knew, he might be staying at a dead man's cave.

The walls around him suddenly felt like they were sentient. Like they were staring down at Mikey, judging every single mistake he's made in his life. He can barely feel the sense of distaste radiating from them. He felt self-conscious. 

He felt as if he was intruding on something. Something important. The rocks in his stomach began to take weight, and he's tempted to double over and hurl. 

Without sparing a moment, he retreated back to a curled up position.With his head buried deep enough to still be able to look at his brother. 

He was so... bloody. Despite being relatively cleaned, he was still littered in bloody bruises, tiny cuts and well... the bigger injuries were staining his makeshift bandages. He looked... disheveled. As if touching him would make his whole form crumble. 

Michelangelo took the time to study Raph's features. Even with the bruises on his face, he looked like he was merely in a deep sleep. His brow ridges were raised, his lips a straight line, his breathing a steady rhythm. He doubts he's ever seen Raph look this... _peaceful_.

For a while he pondered if this was the end. Well, the end of a chapter in his life at least. Would tomorrow start a different life? A different reality? Or would tomorrow stay the same? 

With each hitch in Raphael's breath, Mikey fears the possibility of a different normal. A normal where he has to live out the rest of his life with only two brothers instead of three. A normal where he wouldn't be unexpectedly slapped at the back of the head over a corny joke. A normal where he would watch the cheesiest ninja movies alone. A normal where he'd constantly be aware of the empty seat by the dinner table. 

And he hated that it was such a big possibility. 

His thoughts trailed back to Bentley and Thomas. Brothers who used to come to this very cave because it was "special". He couldn't help but think about how he and Raph used to be like that. A distant memory of playing around in the tunnels of the sewers. They would salvage pizza boxes and old CDs, and somehow manage to make race cars. They even went the extra mile and made a stadium using an old tire.   


God, when did they stop? 

They grew distant. Raphael took up a more protective role, and they gradually stopped hanging out. Mikey himself just went on and played video games all day, watch whatever junk was on tv and eat pizza. Raph on the other hand, spent his free time training till he's sore every morning. The guy trains to fight, and fights to protect. And that protectiveness stemmed from the love for his brothers, which often leads to emotional fights and angry outbursts.His heart was big, which made him hurt when something wasn't right with his brothers. 

He cared too much. He was exactly like Bentley. He'd give up everything for his brothers. There had been countless times where Raph would just throw away his life if it meant any of them would be safe. That even included Leo. Despite Leo being the leader, Raph would still sacrifice everything. Mikey always hated that about him. 

" _Selfish_ ", huh? 

Was Raph really selfish for doing that? It seemed contradictory, but Mikey knows how Thomas feels. There had been times where he kept his anger to himself, angry because of his brother's reckless and immediate sacrifices. 

He wanted to yell at him, wanted to cuss him out for being " _selfish_ ". But he doesn't. Why? He still doesn't know.

Maybe that anger was towards himself. Maybe that rage was all because he knew it was his fault. The anger came from the fact that they both cared for each other. and he knew. 

He knew, whoever cared more was the _selfish_ one.

Raph cared too much. And Mikey never really stopped to appreciate that. There were so many times where he could've encouraged Raph to play video games with him, but he didn't. Why? He was lazy, or he was irritated at whatever Raph's outburst was about that day. On the times they did hang out though, did he really _cherish_ those times? 

There's so much he could've done, so much he could still do. He wondered how Thomas felt when he found out about Bentley's choice. Was he angry? Or was he more regretful? Did he wish he would've done things differently? 

_ "Only focusing on whatever was happening to me ." _

Mikey focused too much on himself. He was so narrow minded. He probably would be dead if Raph didn't come to take the hit. He wondered if things would've been different, if he actually took the time to train with Raph and Leo. Would he have avoided this?

He just wants this to be over. Wanting to skip to the part where he laughs about this, as his brother teases him over his exaggerated paranoia. Christ, he wishes it was merely his paranoia. He wishes he was just overreacting, and it was just "Mikey being a dumbass". 

He was such a dumbass...

Would this have happened if he took fighting more seriously? Would they be in this situation if he saw that foot ninja? Would everything be alright if he took that bullet for Raph instead? 

A lump in his throat causes him to realize the blurriness in his vision. His eyes burned with hot tears.

A while passes by, and Mikey realized that he _hated_ being alone. Perhaps it was because he lived with three bothers his entire life, or maybe it was in his nature, but he hated being all alone. Even with his brother right beside him, he never felt this isolated. A growing fear wells up inside him, as he's afraid that he really _was_ alone. 

But each shaky breath that Raphael took pulls him back to his situation. And he wishes he could just escape. He wasn't ready to be alone. 

He doesn't want to be like Thomas and Bentley. He doesn't want to repeat their history. 

In those minutes, he created a fantasy where his brother awakes. Conscious and energized, like nothing ever happened. He would go to him, embracing him in his arms, and he'd be okay. They would leave out of this cave, certain of finding their brothers. 

They were gonna go home. He was going to do everything with Raphael. He was going to nag him until he submits to playing video games. He was going to push his buttons until he caves in and teaches him his fighting techniques. And he was going to whine and grovel at his feet until his brothers sighs in defeat, and lets him on his motorcycle for a night ride. Mikey was going to annoy him. He was going be the nuisance of his life, and he'll never let go. He wasn't gonna make Thomas' mistakes.

He swears to it.

He _swears_ to it...

He promises that he'll do better, if he just _woke up._

...

"Mike..." Mikey felt a hand rocking his form, "Mikey, wake up."

His eyes fluttered open, half lidded. His pupils darting its way towards the voice.

"Bro, you good?" Raphael sat before him, clothes and duct tape around his wounds. His voice was soft, a hoarse low grumble. Yet it had a quality like honey. 

"...Raph?" Mouth agape and wide eyed, Mikey couldn't believe it, "How the hell did you-"

"Told'ja it looked worse than it is." Raph smirked, clearly proud of his recovery, "I'm fine, Mikey. Seemed like you did a pretty shit job patching up, but it works."

The rain stopped, and was replaced by sunlight. The cave was now covered in a blanket of golden hues. The walls glistened with the rays, and he suddenly understood what Thomas meant when he said it was "special". 

Gee... did he really sleep? He didn't even realize it.

"Was gonna let ya snooze s'more, but you were pretty jumpy in yer sleep." Raphael must've notice his face stained with tear tracks. Which is why Mikey quickly attempted to wipe it off with the back of his hand.

"Bro, you alright?" Raph inched closer, his leg dragging little trail of red behind it, "The hell happened?"

"Nothing, trust me. E'rythin's good. " he sniffles, which didn't help soothe Raph's concern. Mikey smiled weakly, attempting to battle it. Which only caused the older turtle to raise a brow ridge.

"Right..." the red-banded turtle shifted his place, exposing his injured arm towards his brother, "Mike, ya mind? It's stuck." 

Oh yeah. He forgot about the dislocated arm. Wow, he really _was_ a dumbass. 

He drops his knees down, aiming to get a better angle on his shoulder. A hand snakes by his shell to his traps, while the other tugs at his elbow. 

"And—" 

Crack!

Raphael let out an unkept groan. Instinctively palming his shoulder, while he doubles forward. 

"Geez, Mikey. Not even a count to three?" He jokes, rubbing at his shoulder. 

Mikey blinks. He's actually _awake_. The younger turtle start to chuckle. Slowly it morphs into hyperventilating. And that's when Raph notice the glisten in his brother's eyes, the edge if his eyelids quivering with tiny droplets.

"Heh- Sorry dude, I ain't built for thi-"

Mikey found himself in a warm embrace. He never knew how much he actually longed for his brother's firm but sturdy grip. It brought him back to a time where nightmares led him to Raph's room, hysterical and distressed. And he would snuggle up against his big brother, because it meant he was safe. He was safe, and his brother was going to fight off whatever monster that plagued him that night. Everything was okay.

Everything was okay...

The tears just let themselves flow down from his cheeks. He buried his face into the crook of his brother's shoulder, his arms traveling around his shell. In that moment, they were just those two kids in those sewer tunnels. 

The younger turtle tried his best to stifle the sob escaping his mouth. He must look like a dumbass about now. It was embarrassing to say the least. But Raph never said a word. 

He wanted to say how horrible last night was. He wanted to tell him the stupid things he tried to pull to keep Raph's survival. But nothing was coming out. And Raphael didn't attempt to question him. It seemed he already knew. 

They stayed like that for a while, two turtle bros just sitting in a cave, on the floor, havin' a bear hug. Mikey was the one who withdraws first. 

Raph gazes at his little brother. The ends of his lips upturned slightly, as he looks at him with pride. 

He pats him on the head, giving it a few good rubs, " C'mon Mike, let's meet up with the others."

Raphael grunts, using the wall behind him as a support to stand up. Mikey made sure he wasn't alone in putting up the effort, snaking his way beneath Raph's arm, holding him up by the shell. 

"Thanks..." he winces. His eyes shifting to the ground, " 'Ey bro, think you might've dropped somethin'. "

Mikey follows his gaze. It was the note. Only, the text was... different.

He lets Raph lean on the wall, before bending down to pick the piece of paper up. He flips the paper around a few times.

It's the backside of the note...

The handwriting was different. It was bigger than the other one. Rounder and definitely stuck together more. On first glance, it might've looked like a child has written it. It was definitely less neat than the one behind it.

_ Dear Thomas, _

_ I know my choices were never easy on you. Heck, they weren't easy for me. But honest to God, none of it was your fault. I know you, I know how bad you hurt. And as my wish, I'd like you to stop blaming yourself. It was my choice, and my choice alone. _

_ Remember how we got to that cave? You tripped on a tree root and sprained your ankle. It was raining and I carried you until we found shelter. Instantly, the cave felt magical. It gave me so much hope for the world. It made me feel like I had an obligation. To do what exactly? I'm still unsure. But it always made me want to protect you... From what? Again, I don't know. But from then on I swore I would keep you safe. It did lead us to have a blessed childhood. And I was so glad I got to share those memories with you. It's one of the best moments I'll hold onto. _

_ And if I could go back, I'd do it all again. I would give anything for you, and nothing you do will change that. And for you, little brother, I leave the cave to you. I hope you don't mind, but I renovated it a little. Made it... easier to camp on. All I ask, is for you to make new memories here with someone else now. It was something special, the cave. And I leave you the power to pass on the magic that it gave us when we were kids. _

_ I love you little brother, _

_ Bentley _

He smiles. Placing the note back neatly on the concrete. He cranes his neck around the cave, breathing in a fresh waft of air, before releasing it in a relieved manner. This cave was definitely something special. 

He doesn't know how he could've missed it. Right at the opposite wall, as the golden hues hits it perfectly. A crude drawing of two kids, holding hands. A cave sheltering them. Below it wrote:

"Our Cave: B & T"

He felt a tingle in his chest. Something reminiscent to drinking a hot cup of cocoa. Mikey smiled.

Raph raises an eye ridge, "Ya ain't bringin' it?"

Mikey shook his head with a smile, "Nah... I'm good."

He bends down to support his brother's weight, taking a step after every painful step. And eventually, they reached the barn. 

**Author's Note:**

> I know it was a bit out of the blue to suddenly write TMNT fic. But Idk my house lost internet and no distractions means I tend to go towards nostalgia. Aaaand the TMNT 2007 movie was always a bog part of childhood. So ye... here y'all go


End file.
